Mozilla released Firefox 52 in early March, 2017. Now when users on that browser log in, they see a security warning. It occurs on this UBB Central forum site too. If you click the "Learn More" link, firefox gives you this web page.

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Configuring your site for SSL/TLS is out of the scope of forum support; feel free to Google Search "How do I setup SSL?"

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I see that my hosting service (DreamHost) offers some help with the free 'Let's Encrypt' certificate.

Questions for the experienced UBB admins:

If I install the certificate, will visitors' browsers automatically find the https URL, or will there be a period of questions and problems while everyone has to figure out the change?

Is it reasonable to encrypt the sign-in and leave the rest un-encrypted, so that the main forums remain under the http://... URL while the sign-in screen uses the secure https://..., or is that a pain to set up?

I see that my hosting service (DreamHost) offers some help with the free 'Let's Encrypt' certificate.

Because they're free, it's a great project.

Originally Posted by Steve C

If I install the certificate, will visitors' browsers automatically find the https URL, or will there be a period of questions and problems while everyone has to figure out the change?

You'll have to send traffic over an SSL connection, you can find examples on forcing all URLs to use SSL through .htaccess on Google, I force mine over CloudFlare.

Originally Posted by Steve C

Is it reasonable to encrypt the sign-in and leave the rest un-encrypted, so that the main forums remain under the http://... URL while the sign-in screen uses the secure https://..., or is that a pain to set up?

You get a significant search engine bonus for having a full SSL site, I'd advise against what you're wanting to do.

I am a Web Development Contractor, I do not work for UBBCentral. I have provided free User to User Support since the beginning of these support forums.Forums: A Gardeners ForumScouters WorldUBB.threads: UBBWiki, UBB Styles, UBB.SitemapsLongtime Supporter & Resident Post-A-HolicVNC Web Services: Code Modifications, Upgrades, Styling, Coding Services, Disaster Recovery, and more!

The answer would be no, UBB.threads does not have an option for the login or registration page to always be SSL, you could probably dig into the templates and specifically write the URLs to be such, but it'd send them back to the forums over SSL after the login/registration.

HTTP and HTTPS are seen as different URLs, just like your WWW vs non-WWW domain. Having an SSL certificate installed doesn't just automatically make their browsers use it. UBBCentral has an SSL certificate and it's not used here on the forums, that's ultimately the same thing that'd happen for you.

I am a Web Development Contractor, I do not work for UBBCentral. I have provided free User to User Support since the beginning of these support forums.Forums: A Gardeners ForumScouters WorldUBB.threads: UBBWiki, UBB Styles, UBB.SitemapsLongtime Supporter & Resident Post-A-HolicVNC Web Services: Code Modifications, Upgrades, Styling, Coding Services, Disaster Recovery, and more!

Unless you're providing order processing and your merchant requires location information, you can get away with any StarterSSL certificate (the cheap ones).

Originally Posted by ECNet

Set up a Redirect HTTP >> HTTPS (with 'Wildcard')

There are a lot of snippits on Google for "Force HTTPS htaccess".

Originally Posted by ECNet

End result is any old links using HTTP will be redirected to New HTTPS secure page

Yes, but you'll likely want to update old links, which would involve database maintenance.

Keep in mind that 3rd party assets (embedding content from other sites that are not SSL, such as Photobucket) will give a warning on pages using them (basically that elements on the page are not provided over SSL).

I am a Web Development Contractor, I do not work for UBBCentral. I have provided free User to User Support since the beginning of these support forums.Forums: A Gardeners ForumScouters WorldUBB.threads: UBBWiki, UBB Styles, UBB.SitemapsLongtime Supporter & Resident Post-A-HolicVNC Web Services: Code Modifications, Upgrades, Styling, Coding Services, Disaster Recovery, and more!

Thanks for the additional info. As far as the Forum goes I'd probably just want to get the minimum needed to make the FF warning go away.

I also have an Ecommerce site at: www.LicensedElectrician.com where I'd be looking to get something better. All the online orders currently get processed thru PayPal, but I think I should have something there even if only for appearances.

As far as 3rd party assets go, do you mean like an 'in your face' obvious warning message will appear that doesn't appear now?

It'll show the "insecure content" message on pages embedding images/files from a non-https address.

I am a Web Development Contractor, I do not work for UBBCentral. I have provided free User to User Support since the beginning of these support forums.Forums: A Gardeners ForumScouters WorldUBB.threads: UBBWiki, UBB Styles, UBB.SitemapsLongtime Supporter & Resident Post-A-HolicVNC Web Services: Code Modifications, Upgrades, Styling, Coding Services, Disaster Recovery, and more!

"HTTP" and "HTTPS" are two different protocols. Think of them as if they are two different "cars" (yes, another car analogy).

1) "HTTP" is made of transparent glass and anyone who wants to see inside it, can.

2) "HTTPS" is made of solid lead, and only the user driving it will be able to see inside of it.

Each "vehicle" has its own key. In this case, the key is called a cookie.

To get from one and to another, you would literally be switching vehicles, since HTTP and HTTPS are not the same vehicle. So if you are taking a trip from one to "the store" up the street, the other one would be left in your garage.

As a user on a website which uses session information, there really is no switching back and forth on the fly between the two of them, when only one key can control one vehicle.

With the HTTP "vehicle," you will always get that warning from Firefox and Chrome, as long as they continue to notify users that they are currently using that "transparent glass" HTTP vehicle

Hypothetically, say I have an existing website, and I want to install SSL to reassure visitors, but are apprehensive about possible incompatibilities that may then be exposed and need fixing.

Right now, in FF there are no 'in your face warnings' unless there's a page with a form.

If I have SSL installed on the server but no Redirect to HTTPS set up yet does the website appear as before? (Does the HTTPS prefix force the page to use the SSL?)

In other words I can access a page via http://www.myDomain.com - and it appears as beforeAnd, can I also access that same page via https://www.myDomain.com - which may then more visually warn of insecure items? (this way I could see and fix some problems before forcing HTTPS redirect)

If I have SSL installed on the server but no Redirect to HTTPS set up yet does the website appear as before? (Does the HTTPS prefix force the page to use the SSL?)

if people don't type in https, and you have no redirect, they will always be on the non secure version.. you have to tell them to enter https, and/or enable a redirect that automatically converts/redirects folks to https.

"No matter where you go, there you are.""If you can't do something smart, Do something right""There are three kinds of people in the world, those who can count, and those who can't"

The HTTP session cookie is for HTTPThe HTTPS session cookie is for HTTPS

You basically have two session cookies. One for each protocol.

If you are on HTTPS and try to access files which are on an HTTP address, Firefox/Chrome will warn you that that the page is not secure -- because you are attempting to send unencrypted HTTP data in to your encrypted HTTPS connection.

If I have SSL installed on the server but no Redirect to HTTPS set up yet does the website appear as before? (Does the HTTPS prefix force the page to use the SSL?)

if people don't type in https, and you have no redirect, they will always be on the non secure version.. you have to tell them to enter https, and/or enable a redirect that automatically converts/redirects folks to https.

Good reply, BadFrog :thumbsup:

Here is the .htaccess code to do exactly what BadFrog is talking about:

If every item on the HTTPS page is from the same domain and using the HTTPS protocol (or just using the HTTPS protocol), Chrome and Firefox will not display insecure content warnings. (edit: this assumes that the domains are using a valid certs)

If any single element on an HTTPS page is coming from an HTTP page, there will be an "insecure content" warning. Because now you are delivering mixed content to your users.

If every item on the HTTPS page is from the same domain and using the HTTPS protocol (or just using the HTTPS protocol), Chrome and Firefox will not display insecure content warnings. (edit: this assumes that the domains are using a valid certs)

If any single element on an HTTPS page is coming from an HTTP page, there will be an "insecure content" warning. Because now you are delivering mixed content to your users.

I get that. As is there's a little gray icon that, if I click on it tells me it's not secure.

Now, if I install SSL and HTTPS redirect would I still see just the little gray icon if insecure content was on that page? Or, would I get a more forceful indication like a popup or information bar that wasn't there before SSL?

Note, configuring or purchasing an security certificate is outside of the scope of forum support.

Your users will not see the SSL page unless they're sent there, you can test before you move.

I am a Web Development Contractor, I do not work for UBBCentral. I have provided free User to User Support since the beginning of these support forums.Forums: A Gardeners ForumScouters WorldUBB.threads: UBBWiki, UBB Styles, UBB.SitemapsLongtime Supporter & Resident Post-A-HolicVNC Web Services: Code Modifications, Upgrades, Styling, Coding Services, Disaster Recovery, and more!

if there is any insecure links on the page, you will still get the gray icon

I understand, if that's all that happens I can deal with it. I can fix things behind the scenes until it reads as secure.

I think most people just Browsing a site wouldn't even notice the gray icon.If SSL causes popups and other obvious warnings that's a different story. That's what I'm trying to find out in advance.

sorry, I thought it was an easy question.

I have recently received emails from people on my site concerned about chrome and FF big bad warning about security.. I got a free SSL cert from my free cloudflare.com account, I spent a few days cleaning up links and problem solved.

"No matter where you go, there you are.""If you can't do something smart, Do something right""There are three kinds of people in the world, those who can count, and those who can't"

And if you're on CloudFlare, the following page rule will redirect all of your traffic to use SSL:Match: example.com/*Forwarding URL301 RedirectDestination: https://www.example.com/$1

I am a Web Development Contractor, I do not work for UBBCentral. I have provided free User to User Support since the beginning of these support forums.Forums: A Gardeners ForumScouters WorldUBB.threads: UBBWiki, UBB Styles, UBB.SitemapsLongtime Supporter & Resident Post-A-HolicVNC Web Services: Code Modifications, Upgrades, Styling, Coding Services, Disaster Recovery, and more!

I have recently received emails from people on my site concerned about chrome and FF big bad warning about security.. I got a free SSL cert from my free cloudflare.com account, I spent a few days cleaning up links and problem solved.

My forum has a large number of links to other threads within the forum. Would those all need to be modified to use "https", or would creating the the .htaccess code redirect take care of that?

Existing links within your posts, pm's, and user avatars will all retain their HTTP; unless you're super comfortable with crafting and executing queries directly to your database I would advise hiring the task out.

I am a Web Development Contractor, I do not work for UBBCentral. I have provided free User to User Support since the beginning of these support forums.Forums: A Gardeners ForumScouters WorldUBB.threads: UBBWiki, UBB Styles, UBB.SitemapsLongtime Supporter & Resident Post-A-HolicVNC Web Services: Code Modifications, Upgrades, Styling, Coding Services, Disaster Recovery, and more!